TY - JOUR
T1 - Purkinje cell synapses target physiologically unique brainstem neurons
AU - Sekirnjak, Chris
AU - Vissel, Bryce
AU - Bollinger, Jacob
AU - Faulstich, Michael
AU - Du Lac, Sascha
PY - 2003/7/16
Y1 - 2003/7/16
N2 - The cerebellum controls motor learning via Purkinje cell synapses onto discrete populations of neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei and brainstem vestibular nuclei. In the circuitry that subserves the vestibulo-ocular reflex, the postsynaptic targets of Purkinje cells, termed flocculus target neurons (FTNs), are thought to be a critical site of learning. Little is known, however, about the intrinsic cellular properties of FTNs, which are sparsely distributed in the medial vestibular nucleus. To identify these neurons, we used the L7 promoter to express a tau-green fluorescent protein fusion protein selectively in Purkinje cells. Fluorescent Purkinje cell axons and terminal boutons surrounded the somata and proximal dendrites of a small subset of neurons, presumed FTNs, in the medial vestibular nucleus. Targeted intracellular recordings revealed that FTNs fired spontaneously at high rates in brain slices (mean, 47 spikes/sec) and exhibited dramatic postinhibitory rebound firing after the offset of membrane hyperpolarization. These intrinsic firing properties were exceptional among brainstem vestibular nucleus neurons but strikingly similar to neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei, indicating a common role for intrinsic firing mechanisms in cerebellar control of diverse behaviors.
AB - The cerebellum controls motor learning via Purkinje cell synapses onto discrete populations of neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei and brainstem vestibular nuclei. In the circuitry that subserves the vestibulo-ocular reflex, the postsynaptic targets of Purkinje cells, termed flocculus target neurons (FTNs), are thought to be a critical site of learning. Little is known, however, about the intrinsic cellular properties of FTNs, which are sparsely distributed in the medial vestibular nucleus. To identify these neurons, we used the L7 promoter to express a tau-green fluorescent protein fusion protein selectively in Purkinje cells. Fluorescent Purkinje cell axons and terminal boutons surrounded the somata and proximal dendrites of a small subset of neurons, presumed FTNs, in the medial vestibular nucleus. Targeted intracellular recordings revealed that FTNs fired spontaneously at high rates in brain slices (mean, 47 spikes/sec) and exhibited dramatic postinhibitory rebound firing after the offset of membrane hyperpolarization. These intrinsic firing properties were exceptional among brainstem vestibular nucleus neurons but strikingly similar to neurons in the deep cerebellar nuclei, indicating a common role for intrinsic firing mechanisms in cerebellar control of diverse behaviors.
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Flocculus target neuron
KW - GFP
KW - Medial vestibular nucleus
KW - Motor learning
KW - Postinhibitory rebound
KW - Vestibulo-ocular reflex
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0038381945&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0038381945&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1523/jneurosci.23-15-06392.2003
DO - 10.1523/jneurosci.23-15-06392.2003
M3 - Article
C2 - 12867525
AN - SCOPUS:0038381945
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 23
SP - 6392
EP - 6398
JO - Journal of Neuroscience
JF - Journal of Neuroscience
IS - 15
ER -